Control
by devilishblacksheep
Summary: Caleb Ascended first, then it was Pogue’s turn. Now Reid’s Ascension is imminent. Will he become what everyone seems to think he will, or will he rise above it?
1. Ascending

**First Covenant fic. I do not own any of the Sons of Ipswich, even though I might want to, one in particular. So don't sue, ya hear?**

**Caleb Ascended first, then it was Pogue's turn. Now Reid's Ascension is imminent. Will he become what everyone seems to think he will, or will he rise above it?**

_Control_

It was late October, and the wind whipped at the coats of the four Sons of Ipswich as they reluctantly walked back to the dorm where everyone but Caleb lived during the school year. They were joking about something Reid had said in class earlier that day, something Caleb didn't approve of but the others had found hilarious. Suddenly the object of their conversation froze, disrupting Pogue's imitation of the teacher.

"Reid. Reid!" Pogue shouted, concerned about his friend's sudden silence. He snapped his fingers in front of his face, which usually got his attention, but it was no use. Reid suddenly slumped to the ground, grabbing at his stomach, in obvious pain. Pogue noticed the trail of power flowing into Reid, cursing himself that he hadn't noticed it earlier. Today was Reid's eighteenth birthday, and it was 10:48 PM, the exact time of his birth. He was Ascending.

It was the moment that would forever shape who he was, determining whether he would fall victim to the Power and follow where so many of their ancestors had tread, becoming addicted to it and aging prematurely, or using wisely and living out a normal lifespan. They all feared that for Reid it would be the former, considering his behavior in the past. Reid was always the first to use, seemingly looking for any excuse, be it creating a breeze to expose an unsuspecting girl's underwear, or lack thereof, or cheating at pool, or levitating a pencil during class. They worried that he was already addicted, despite his assurances that everything was fine and that they should just stay out of it.

His eyes went black, but this time it wasn't voluntary; there was no way it could be, since he was too busy writhing on the ground to have the focus to use. The others rushed over to where Pogue was standing, intently watching Reid. "He's going to be okay, right?" Asked Tyler, now the only one who hadn't Ascended. "Yeah, definitely," Pogue assured him. "It won't be too much longer, and then he'll be fine." _I hope,_ he mentally added.

_God, this hurts,_ Reid thought dimly. _Wonder when it'll be over._ All he knew was the pain; it had been there forever, and it seemed like it would go on for even longer. His carefully constructed bad boy image had been completely torn apart the minute the pain hit, and it didn't seem like it was coming back any time soon. He could feel the Power coursing through him, crackling and hissing as it did, like it was lightning instead of magic. Finally it let up, leaving him curled up on the ground, gasping. He slowly sat up, trying unsuccessfully to brush off the hands pulling him to a standing position. "I've got it," he mumbled to no one in particular.

They all were looking at him anxiously. "What?" He asked, irritated. "I'm fine, honest. Scout's honor, and all that crap."

They continued looking at him, noticing that his eyes were still black. "Someone say something already; I'm starting to feel like I'm in a silent movie and one of you is going to tie me to the railroad tracks."

"Are his eyes supposed to be black still?" Whispered Tyler to Caleb. "I know yours took a while to go back, but you were fighting Chase. Pogue's went back pretty quickly. Why aren't Reid's?"

"I'm right here, idiot. I can hear you," Reid said venomously. What was the big deal? It wasn't like he was using, he was just adjusting. And what an adjustment; he could feel the power, at least three times what he had been able to access before. And it was just sitting there, waiting to be used. Asking to be used. It was tempting, he had to admit. More tempting than he was willing to acknowledge. But he couldn't; that way would lead to trouble. But, maybe just a little. Just to try it out. How bad could that be? He reached out with his hand to concentrate the flow, and lifted a rock. He could do better than that. He formed two balls of energy and began to juggle them, adding more balls as he mastered it. He had gotten up to five grapefruit-sized balls of pulsating light when Caleb touched his shoulder. "That's enough."

He was jerked out of his pattern, and nearly dropped a ball when he realized he could just call it back to his hand. With a blink they were all gone. "What? I'm just having some fun. I am allowed that, right?"

"Sure, but not when it could kill you."

"Yeah, Caleb, like juggling light is really going to kill me."

"That might not, but if you keep it up, your damn pride is going to get you killed. You can't just use like that, Reid. I've tried to get you to realize that, but this time it's for real; if you keep using like you have been, you're going to be dead by the time you're thirty. And while you may not care, the rest of us do."

Reid walked towards Caleb until they stood almost nose to nose. "You don't scare me, Caleb. You may scare Pogue and Tyler, but you don't scare me. I'm stronger now, and I think I might actually be able to kick your ass now." He grinned, his usual mischievous smirk looking downright evil in the moonlight. The others backed up, leaving Caleb and Reid standing in the middle of the quad by themselves. "Want to try, if you're so sure?" Asked Caleb. He knew for a fact that he could still counter whatever Reid decided to throw at him, but, as always, he wasn't going to flaunt it. That had never made Reid back down, and if he ever needed Reid to back down, now was the time. He was still a good kid; he just liked the power more than was good for him. Caleb needed him to come to his senses before he did anything stupid. _You can cut the act, Reid,_ Caleb thought at him. _Drop it now, and I'll leave it alone. Keep pushing, and it's going to end the way it did last time, with you hitting a wall. You don't need this; I know you can hold your own in a fight. Let it go._

_Get out of my head, Caleb,_ Reid thought back. _Don't try to psychoanalyze me; I know what you're doing, and it won't work._

Caleb sighed. It was going to take more than he thought to bring Reid to his senses. "Fine. You want a fight, I'll give you a fight." He took hold of the Power and threw a concentrated ball of force at Reid, who caught it. Reid threw it back, adding more force as he did so. Caleb dodged, and launched himself at Reid, pinning him to the ground. "You can beat this, Reid. I know you can. Don't let it define you; it's only a tool." Reid struggled, trying to push Caleb off of him, and eventually gave it up as hopeless. Caleb stared him in his black eyes, willing him to understand. _Come on. Don't give in. I know you don't want this. You keep telling me you're not addicted, right?_

'_Cuz I'm not,_ Reid shot back, annoyed that Caleb still thought he was.

_Then prove me wrong. Ignore it._

Caleb finally got through. Reid closed his eyes, focusing on his inner battle. He wanted to give in so badly, but he knew he couldn't. His friends were counting on him, and, more importantly, he wanted to show Caleb that he was wrong. He wasn't addicted, and not giving in was the best way he knew how to prove that. _I don't need this; I'm bigger than it. The Power doesn't control me, I control the Power. _He pushed it away, clenching his fists in the effort. The others watched him, hoping that when he opened his eyes he would be back to the old Reid. He started shaking, beginning to think that maybe everyone was right, maybe he _was _addicted. _It shouldn't take this long; why isn't it receding? _With a final shove he forced it back to wherever it went when it wasn't being used. The effort left him tired, and he sunk back to the ground, his eyes still closed. After what seemed like ages he opened his eyes slowly. The black had retreated to his pupils, revealing the blue that had been hidden underneath. He shook his head, clearing it of the empty promises the Power offered and flinging off blood droplets from a nosebleed that had been prompted by his effort. He offered Caleb a smirk, wiping the rest of the blood from his nose. "See? Told ya."

Caleb nodded, giving a smile in return. The others looked at each other, grinning in relief. He was going to be okay; he had fought his demons, and made it through in one piece. Thank God.

He was still shaky; he may not be addicted, but he was damn close. He would have to keep a better handle on it from now on, or else he would end up like every other male member of his family, needing to use to get a fix and eventually becoming little more than a living corpse by the time he was thirty. At least he had people who wouldn't write him off as a lost cause, like his mother had. These guys were like brothers to him; they had been there every step of the way since they had gotten the Power five years ago, and as long as he didn't alienate them completely they would be there for the rest of his life.

**So that's it. Or is it? I've got another chapter, but unless you review I won't put it up; I want to make sure I've got interest before I finish it up. Insert evil laugh here **


	2. Fighting the Good Fight

**First off, wow…thanks for the reviews everyone. It's nice to feel appreciated once in a while…lol. I just hope this part doesn't let any of you down…personally, I think this part is even better than the first, but that's just me…**

**Again, I own nothing and am not getting paid. **

**If you think that way, there could be the beginnings of slash in here, but really there isn't; I just couldn't write it any other way. You do know that just 'cuz two guys are close and sleep in the same room doesn't mean there always has to be slash, right? Just checking.**

**And now for the feature presentation; _Control, part II_**

"I can't do this," he said, whining for what was probably the first time in all his eighteen years of life. "It just hurts too damn much."

"Sure you can, Reid," Tyler said, worry creeping into his voice and betraying his words. Reid was curled up on his bed, fighting against the latest attempt of the Power to tempt him into addiction. His eyes were squeezed shut, his hands clenched into fists so tight that when he forced them open occasionally to uncramp them Tyler could see bloody crescents dug into the palms of his hands where his fingers had been. Reid lifted his head slightly to look at Tyler. His eyes were the characteristic jet black their eyes turned when they were using, but somehow Tyler could still see the pain in them. He had a nosebleed again, which always seemed to accompany his episodes, and the blood was slowly dripping down his chin to splatter onto the sheets. He was gasping for breath, weak from the fight and grateful of the temporary lull. He shook his head, cutting off any sympathy Tyler had been about to offer. He didn't want it; he would accept no pity from anyone, least of all his friends. He would beat this, without their help.

"I'm fine," he grunted, hoping Tyler would miss the fear in his voice. He had been so sure in the beginning that this would be easy; just say no once forcefully, and usually the bullies left you alone. But not with this. It seemed like every time he turned around, there the Power was, taunting him, trying to seduce him into using again and again, slowly wearing him down until he ended up like he was now, struggling to hold onto everything he knew. He knew with every fiber of his being that this was the right thing to do, but it was times like these that made him wish he didn't care so damn much about doing the right thing. It would be so much easier to just give in, to ride the Power like a wave, doing whatever he wanted, taking whatever he wanted, with no regard for anyone but himself. And without his friends, that's probably exactly what he would have done. But somehow they made him want to rise above, to be what his father and grandfather all the way back to the first of his line had never been able to be; for some reason they believed in him, and, even though it hurt his pride to admit it, he didn't want to let them down. So he kept at it, keeping the beast at bay, fighting the good fight. Caleb made it look so easy; everything had always come easy to him, and it never ceased to piss Reid off. If he really wanted to be honest with himself, he was jealous of Caleb and how easily he seemed to be ignoring the promises the Power made to him. Granted, Caleb had always been hesitant about using, afraid of becoming his father, but still.

Reid fell into a restless sleep, the only kind available to him in the few weeks since his Ascension. He fought it, unready to face the dreams the Power conjured, dreams of wealth and power and respect and awe, which sounded good on the surface. But, like so many things, it came at a price; in these dreams he was always in control, but his friends were reduced to pitiful beings, weak and starving and wretched. He hated these dreams, partly because of how his friends were portrayed and partly because he knew that some part of him wanted it to happen, and that part disgusted him. So he sat there in the dark, ignoring Tyler's concerned looks, continually waking himself until finally he was so exhausted that he couldn't help but sleep.

_He wore a crown, and was surrounded by thousands of fearful minions. His friends were chained to a bar that was suspended just high enough that it was extremely uncomfortable for them to stand, as the only things keeping them upright were their arms dangling above them, chained cruelly to the bar. He laughed, a full-throated laugh that would chill the blood of anyone within earshot. They had willed their Power over to him, making him the most powerful man in the world. He looked at them with contempt; they were weak, undeserving of pity. Caleb whimpered, obviously in pain, and with almost no thought Reid used, lifting him up by his throat with an invisible hand, cutting off his oxygen. "Did I say you could speak?" He growled, black eyes flashing amber with the surge in Power. Caleb quieted, averting his eyes in fear. Reid smirked, reveling in his ability and at how far the Danvers name had fallen._

Reid jerked awake, stifling a scream. The bed was floating, and he quickly brought it back to the ground. He then attempted to shove the Power back to where it came from, which proved to be more difficult, and painful, than he had anticipated. "Fuck," he muttered, groaning with the effort of trying to quash an endless river of Power with his quickly weakening will. He hated showing any sign of weakness, but in his current position he didn't really have any choice; it was either stuff it back and deal with the protests of his body or focus on keeping quiet and end up wasting all his energy on that. Getting the Power back in check was more important. _Stop, damn you,_ he swore at the Power. _I don't want your promises, so just LEAVE ME ALONE!_ The last part ended up being out loud, waking Tyler, who sat up straight and looked at Reid in concern. But Reid was too busy with his own internal battle to notice. Tyler walked over to where Reid lay, writhing in pain and shaking with effort. Tyler gently laid his hand on Reid's back, the only part of him that stayed still enough to maintain contact with, trying not to add to his discomfort. Tyler concentrated, adding his own power to Reid's. This was the worst one yet, and he knew that Reid would need all the help he could get. He couldn't stand to sit there on his own bed, watching Reid, knowing he was in pain and not doing what he could to ease it. If Reid had a problem with accepting help from someone, they could deal with that later, but for now Tyler was going to help, Reid be damned.

Tyler could feel the Power crackling and pulsating beneath the clammy skin, surging in concert with the pounding in Tyler's own head from the amount of Power in use. Reid's skin was burning hot, almost as if he had a fever. Tyler lent his own strength, pouring his own Power into Reid, offering it for Reid's use, the two of them pushing it back and back into the dark place where it lay, waiting to be used. Reid's eyes fluttered, quickly revealing the black that was reflected in Tyler's own. Slowly Reid quieted, relaxing gradually as the Power retreated. Finally he was left lying on his bed, feeling completely empty. He moaned, relieved that it was over. He was sweating and gasping for breath, but he was okay. His eyes were once again blue, and he was in control. "Thank you," he whispered, so softly that Tyler almost didn't hear it.

"No problem," Tyler responded, not making a big deal out of it. He decided to not mention this to the others. Reid would never forgive him, and if it happened again he might not accept the help. He was out of the woods, at least for now.

Over the next few weeks, the episodes lessened. Either Reid was getting better control over it or the Power was giving up; either way, the others were grateful. He refused to talk about it, returning to his old, cocky self, but he had stopped using unless it was absolutely necessary. He was still tempted every now and again, something he never told anyone else, but he had it in check; he knew who was the master.

**Okay…that's all, folks. Unless I come up with something to add to it, which is entirely possible. What did you think? Did it fulfill all your wildest dreams? Or was it the worst piece of drivel you've ever read? Let me know; feedback makes my world go round…lol.**


	3. Confrontation

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! Also, huge thanks to Marah for putting this story in her C2…I'm extremely flattered . Everyone should check it out; it's all insanely good stuff. And now, since you asked so nicely, here's part three.**

**You know the drill: I own nothing besides the plot, and am making nothing off of this. **

Reid felt like a recovering drug addict. In a way, he was; the Power was basically like a drug, providing the same high when using and the subsequent low when it was held in check for an extended period of time. He just wished it were easier; he had to keep on guard all the time, or else he would find himself unconsciously floating pens and pencils during class or preparing to turn things into projectiles when he was irritated. Most of the time he caught it on his own, and would quickly grab the offending object and bring it to a normal level, but sometimes, when he was too preoccupied with something else, he would get a nudge in his mind and a reminder from one of his friends to cut it out. He hated that, sensing the undercurrents of pity or sympathy from whoever it was, and would quickly shut them out before turning his attention to whatever it was that he had been doing.

A few weeks after the episode where Tyler had helped Reid get his Power under control, Reid found himself in yet another situation that he couldn't diffuse on his own. The four of them were walking across the quad to the dorms after a full day of classes when Aaron spotted them and ambled over with his groupies, intending to yet again try to make their lives miserable. "Asshole at five o'clock," Pogue warned, hoping that by giving everyone the heads up the confrontation wouldn't get too physical. The others turned, and Tyler sighed. Why did Aaron have it out for them so bad? It's not like they went looking for trouble; all the confrontations between them had been instigated by Aaron. Granted, Reid's temper didn't help, but if Aaron wasn't such a jackass there wouldn't be any problems.

Reid clenched his fists. Man, he hated that guy. He just got on his nerves so much. What he said, how he acted; every time he opened his big mouth Reid wanted to punch him, hard. A ball of energy was in his hand before he even realized it.

Pogue elbowed him in the side. "Reid," he hissed, "Now really isn't the time."

Reid looked down at his hand. Damnit. He closed his eyes, pushing the Power back. As it ebbed he felt drained, and somehow disappointed. He opened his eyes again, and blinked a few times. Back to normal. He didn't want to push his luck; even though he was slightly annoyed at Pogue for pointing out that he was using, he was grateful, since any time he could avoid using was a good one.

Aaron was now close enough to start whatever he had been intending. "Oh look, the posers are here. What, are you late for a photo shoot or something?"

Every muscle in Reid's body tensed up. He knew it was stupid; Aaron was being a jerk precisely because he knew it would piss Reid off, but he couldn't help it. After years of putting up with Aaron and his snide remarks, it was instinct. He clenched his jaw, willing himself to keep quiet. Anything he did now would only make things worse. Especially if he did what he wanted to, which was pick Aaron up by his throat and throw him across the quad. Or rip him limb from limb; either plan sounded appealing. He felt the Power surge in response to his emotions, and closed his eyes to hide the black he knew was there. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself, but it wasn't working. The Power promised that if he gave in people like Aaron wouldn't bother him anymore, that there wouldn't even _be_ anyone like Aaron if he gave in, but he knew it was all lies. Well, maybe not lies; if he gave in there definitely wouldn't be anyone like Aaron left in the world. But that was only the tip of the iceberg; if he gave in, first it would be people like Aaron, then anyone who pissed him off once, and pretty soon there would be no one left that he truly cared about. So he kept his mouth shut and his eyes closed, hoping that Caleb would diffuse the situation soon so Reid wouldn't have to keep this up.

"Aaron, why don't you just take you and your ego somewhere else for once," Caleb said, quickly losing patience with him. "Because, obviously, we don't have the time or inclination to deal with any of your stupidity."

Aaron was dumbstruck. He hadn't expected this from Caleb. He had been looking for a fight, but Reid wasn't taking the bait, and no one else seemed willing to deal with him. So he stomped off, dragging his friends with him, heading to somewhere where he could have a little fun.

The minute Aaron left, everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief. They all had, on some level, expected Reid to lose his head, and were pleasantly surprised that he hadn't. Reid slowly sunk to the ground, shaking, and covered his face with his hands, rubbing at his temples. He breathed deeply a few times, then looked up at the rest of the group, offering a lopsided grin. "Well, that went better than expected." His eyes were still black, which startled Tyler; it was obvious he wasn't using, but he could feel the Power radiating off of him, making his skin tingle. He gave Reid a confused look.

"I'm fine," Reid said, irritated by Tyler's concern. He stood, refusing Pogue's offer of help, and began pacing, trying to work off the extra energy before he did something stupid. "Geez, man," Pogue said, "Calm down; you're making me nervous." Reid glared at him, his black eyes flashing amber, and he stalked off. Tyler made as if to follow him, but Caleb stopped him. He shook his head. "You know Reid; he just needs to clear his head. He'll be fine. And, if not, we'll be the first to know if something goes wrong." Tyler sighed, and then nodded. Sometimes Reid's moodiness was a real pain in the ass.

Encounters with Aaron always put Reid in a bad mood, and since the Ascension had made the Power even easier to access, he found that it was harder to get through them without using, even if he didn't want to. It was instinct; there's a threat, Power gets used to eliminate the threat. And, to Reid's baser instincts, Aaron was a threat.

He took a deep breath, trying to slow his pounding heart. The adrenaline flowing through his system really wasn't making this any easier. He closed his eyes and tried to focus, reining in the Power. But he had already let it out enough that it wouldn't give in easily; it was going to be harder than he thought. But thanks to his recent episodes, he had gotten a feel for how it behaved, more so than any of the others, and so he had a pretty good idea of how to get it under control.

After a few minutes he heard Caleb's voice in his head. _You okay, man?_

_Yes,_ he thought back, mildly annoyed. He reined the emotion in, knowing that it wouldn't help.

_It's still there; I can feel it. You sure you're okay?_

Reid growled under his breath in frustration. Why couldn't Caleb trust him on this, just this once? He had the situation under control; if Caleb would just let him _breathe_ for a minute…

_I'm **fine**. Just leave me alone. _

Caleb sighed. If Reid wasn't so damn _stubborn_, he could get this under control faster and probably better. But Reid had to do things his own way, by himself, and wouldn't even accept suggestions on how to do things. It was going to bite him in the ass someday, Caleb was sure of it.

Gradually he felt Reid's Power quieting down until it was undetectable. It was about time; every time Reid used since his Ascension Caleb had been worried, knowing that he was getting closer and closer to addiction. And every time Reid used, it was getting harder and harder for him to put the Power away. Granted, it was better; at least now Reid didn't almost have a seizure when he was getting control over it, and he hadn't even actually done anything during the confrontation with Aaron.

Reid walked back to the group, visibly calmer. "So, where to now?" It was as if the incident had never happened. His eyes were once again blue, and he was visibly calmer. Caleb wondered if it would last, but, knowing Reid, it was better to just go with it; probing would only piss him off again.

"Nikki's," he responded.

"Sweet." Reid's eyes shone with potential mischief, anticipating the fun times ahead.

**I know; it ended kind of abruptly. I'm working on it; I just wanted to make sure no one else would yell at me for not updating sooner…lol. More is forthcoming, so don't have a brain aneurism or anything...**


	4. Nicky's

**Part Four! Wow; I can't believe I've written this much. Especially considering I didn't originally intend to write more than a couple chapters (please no one hit me for saying that!). Thanks to everyone who reviewed; it's so cool to read them and all the nice things you have to say…instant ego boost! Okay, so, back to the story…**

**Idon'townthecovenantoranyofthecharactersdon'tsuemeplease**

The Sons of Ipswich walked into Nicky's, the local bar and hangout for anyone looking for a little fun. Reid headed straight for the pool table, immediately starting up a game. His first opponent was a biker, one of the many leather-clad patrons that showed up on Friday nights. Reid beat him easily; the guy wasn't very good, sinking the eight ball on his second turn and ending the game.

A few friendly games later, and two hundred bucks richer, Reid was approached by Aaron. "Hey, pretty boy. Wanna play?"

"Is the Pope Catholic?"

"All right then. Just don't cheat this time, poser."

The game was on.

Aaron was good; Reid had to give him that. But he was better. He was three-quarters of the way done clearing the table, but Aaron "accidentally" bumped into him when he was trying to sink the 6 ball, and he missed. He swore under his breath, promising to get back at Aaron. So, during Aaron's turn, he used, moving the ball just far enough away from the cue that when Aaron went to hit it he missed. Aaron tried again, and Reid moved it again. Finally he got so frustrated that he broke the cue, throwing it on the table and stalking off.

"Hey, man, no need to get so mad," Reid said cheerfully. "I guess your aim's just off today. It happens to the best of 'em." Aaron growled under his breath, his ire rising when he saw the smirk on Reid's face. "It was you. You did something, I know it!"

Aaron launched himself at Reid, succeeding in knocking him over. Reid punched him in the face, breaking his nose. Aaron kicked him in response, temporarily knocking the wind out of Reid. The fight escalated, until Nicky himself walked over. The room got really quiet. "All right, cut it out, you two, or else take it outside. Either way, you're not fighting in here; I've got patrons, if you haven't noticed." His frown brooked no argument; Reid and Aaron stalked outside, intending to finish it. Tyler, Pogue, and Caleb followed them out, intent on trying to keep Reid out of trouble.

As soon as they were outside and the door was closed, the argument resumed. "You know what, Aaron?" Reid's voice rose, and his eyes went black as night. Aaron, not knowing what was coming, stood there, glaring at Reid. "You can just cut the shit, 'cuz I'm sick and tired of dealing with you." Reid lifted Aaron by the throat, using the Power. His body was singing with it, and he finally gave in, feeling it wash over him. Why hadn't he done this earlier? It felt so damn good; his skin tingled with it, and he broke into a huge grin, his eyes flashing amber. Aaron began grabbing at his throat, plainly terrified at what was happening to him. But Reid didn't care. Caleb yelled at him to cut it out and let Aaron go, but Reid ignored him. No one was going to interfere. Aaron was going to get what was coming to him, the son of a bitch, and no one was going to stop Reid from giving it to him; _no one_.

He mentally squeezed Aaron's throat, and Aaron began choking and gasping, trying vainly to get air. But it wouldn't come; Reid was holding too tight, and showed no sign of letting up. Aaron began to thrash, becoming lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. Reid just laughed, reveling in the bigger man's pain.

Caleb approached him from behind, intent on tackling him, but Reid saw him coming, and threw him into the brick wall of the building behind Nicky's without effort or thought. The others backed up, nervous about the new development. They had all spent years thinking about this exact moment, the point in time where Reid would give in to the Power and lose control, but now that it had come, none of them could accept it. Pogue creeped over to Caleb, checking to make sure he was okay without being noticed by Reid. He needn't have worried; Reid was too busy getting back at the school bully for years of snide comments to bother to pay attention to the people behind him.

Caleb brushed off Pogue's attempts to help, assuring him that he was fine. "We need to do something about Reid," he whispered to the others. "We can't let him do this." Pogue and Tyler nodded reluctantly; although on some level it was nice to see Aaron punished for his actions, if they didn't stop Reid he would kill him, and that was unacceptable. Already Aaron was turning blue, and had almost entirely stopped struggling against the invisible hand crushing his throat.

Reid was unreachable. Tyler had tried to talk to him mind-to-mind, but after Reid realized that Tyler was trying to get him to stop hurting Aaron, he had severed all contact. The sheer amount of Power Reid was using was giving them all a major headache, which didn't help the situation any. So they did the only thing left; they pooled their Power and prepared to restrain Reid, and kill him if absolutely necessary. They hated to admit it, but Reid was now a threat to all of them, and they couldn't let him continue.

They threw a net of Power at Reid, working together to ensure that it was secure and would incapacitate him. The minute it began to close around him, Reid yelled, in frustration and anger and pain all at the same time. He fell to his knees, thrashing at his invisible bonds, trying vainly to escape. But the three other Sons of Ipswich were more powerful than Reid alone, and they held.

Reid quieted, realizing his efforts were futile. What the hell did they think they were doing? Aaron was an asshole; he deserved to be punished. He was breathing hard, suddenly realizing how much energy he had expended. He looked over, and saw Aaron bonelessly slide down the wall, collapsing in a heap when he reached the ground. He didn't move. Reid smirked; served him right.

The others walked over to Reid, and looked at him, sorrow in their eyes. Tyler went over to where Aaron lay, and checked his pulse. He was still alive, but barely. "What the hell were you thinking?" Caleb asked Reid after Tyler nodded that Aaron was okay. "What gives you the right to make decisions about who lives and who dies? Sure, he's a jackass, and a dick, and a million other things, but that doesn't mean you can just _kill_ him! That's not what the Power is for!"

"Oh yeah?" Reid shot back. "And who died and made you God? It's my life; I'll do what I want with it. And just 'cuz the rest of you suckers will follow what Danvers says doesn't mean I have to; make your own damn decisions for once instead of having them spoon-fed to you." He resumed his struggling, trying to ignore his protesting body. Using had taken more out of him than he thought.

"Come on, Reid; this isn't like you." Caleb decided to switch tactics, since yelling at him wasn't working. Not that it had ever worked.

"Right, and this from the guy who keeps telling me to stop using or I'll kill myself. You should know; this is _exactly_ like me! I mean, I'm only doing what you all expected me to do anyway; I don't know why you're so upset. It's not like this should be a surprise or anything. After all, you all kept telling me this is where I was headed…"

"But, but, you were _beating_ it!" Tyler sputtered. "I don't get it!"

"Yeah, well, I guess it got the better of me. Suck it up." Reid didn't know why he was being such an ass; granted, he felt like crap, but that didn't mean he had to shut his friends out. They were only trying to help, after all. He knew he was a lost cause, but they were putting out a good effort; the least he could do was be nice about it.

But for some reason he didn't want to be nice. He wanted them to hurt like he hurt, every single one of them. All the feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness and the labels forced on him since he was thirteen swirled around in his head, fueling his anger at the world around him and the cards he had been dealt. He didn't want this life, but it was the one he was destined to live; everyone kept telling him that he was going to end up dead by thirty and addicted to the Power, so if that was what they all expected of him, why disappoint?

"Do you seriously want to end up like Chase, just chasing the next high and hell-bent on revenge against something that happened hundreds of years ago? It doesn't have to end this way, Reid; you beat it before, you can beat it again." Caleb didn't know what else to say; he was all out of ideas, so he fell back on recent events, hoping that somehow he would get through. He didn't want to lose his friend; sure, Reid could be an ass, but he and the others were the closest things Caleb had to brothers, and despite all their problems they had to stick together.

Reid shook his head sadly. "No, Caleb, that's the one thing you don't understand, for all your experience with this. Sure, I can keep beating it back, but it'll just try again, wearing me down until I don't have a choice. You should know that; it's what happened to your father, after all." He saw the hurt in Caleb's eyes at his cutting remark, and couldn't help but regret saying it. But he pushed it aside; he had to make them see that there was no point in trying to "save" him; he would only let them down, like he had already. If he pushed them away it would make this easier on all of them. If he could make them hate him, maybe it wouldn't hurt so much when he left.

**Next chapter is on the way, so don't panic! Let me know what you think; am I laying the angst on too thick, or does it work?**


	5. Go Home

**Okay, now it's time for chapter five (man, I really need to come up with more interesting ways to introduce chapters). **

**Note: Thanks to RedRogue and AnimeFanQueen for catching my slipup in the previous chapter; Nicky is in fact a GUY, not a girl. Sorry for the mistake; I humbly apologize, commit hari-kari, whatever will make you guys forgive me for being such an idiot. It's been fixed, so Nicky is securely back as his rightful sex. And now, back to _Control_, already in progress.**

**Again, no slash, really. Not even the beginning of any. I feel the need to tell you because for some reason people seem to think that any display of emotion between two guys needs to end that way, and that's not always the case. Or, at least, that's what I find in reading fanfic. Maybe I'm just imagining it. In any case, I'll stop my rambling now and just let you read the damn story.**

Caleb stepped closer, sure that with Reid's current state of mind he wouldn't try anything. He motioned for the others to let the net go; he wasn't a threat, at least, not right now. Reid visibly relaxed, all the tension from straining against the net leaving his body. His eyes were still black, showing that he wasn't entirely off guard, but it seemed like he was at least calmer. He was shaking, a residual effect from the amount of Power flowing through his system a few minutes before, and it was obvious that he was exhausted. It was a huge change from the cocky son-of-a-bitch macho image he usually projected, and it was disconcerting.

By this time Aaron had recovered from Reid's attack, and had quietly slipped away while the others were busy dealing with Reid. When they noticed he had gone, they decided that worrying about anything he might tell others was ridiculous; chances are, Aaron would never admit to being put in a situation where he didn't come out on top, and had probably blocked out any weirdness he had witnessed. That was one of the great things about human nature; if something is beyond your ability to accept as reality, you tend to forget it ever happened. Wonderful things, defense mechanisms.

"So, what do we do about Reid?" Tyler whispered to Caleb. "We can't just leave him here, not like this."

"Just go home. Leave me alone. That's what you want to do anyway; I'm such a fuckup that I don't even know why you bother with me anymore." The bitterness was thick in his voice. Reid spoke so quietly that the others almost didn't realize that it was him who had been talking. Usually he was loud and obnoxious, and the words coming out of his mouth now were extremely out of character.

"What are you talking about, Reid? You're not a fuckup; you just…" The words trailed off, leaving Pogue feeling awkward. He had been trying to cheer Reid up, but he had never been good at the whole talking-someone-off-a-ledge thing, and he knew he was probably only making things worse.

Reid laughed bitterly. "See? Told you. Go home, guys. There's nothing more you can do."

"We're not leaving you here, Reid; it's just not happening. We're going to get you home, and then we're going to work this out. It'll get better, I promise."

Reid shook his head. He was such a screw-up that he couldn't even do this right. They just didn't get it, did they? He wasn't worth the effort; he had felt what it was like to give in to the Power, and the next time would be ten times harder to resist. He doubted he was strong enough to beat it a second, third, however many times it would take. "Go home, Caleb."

"No."

"Go home!"

"No!"

"_GO HOME!_" He yelled as loud as he could, putting all his fear and pain into the two words, hoping that maybe, just maybe, Caleb would listen to him for once.

Reid's eyes flashed, and Caleb flew across the alley, hitting the building Aaron had been held up against earlier. He slid down the wall, as limp as a rag doll, and didn't get up.

Immediately Reid realized what he had done, and lost what little composure he had left. "Oh, no, no. Not Caleb. What did I do? Damnit…" He brought his knees to his chest, and put his head down, muttering to himself. "Told you. I'm nothing but one fuck-up after another."

Tyler walked over to try to calm him down, but when he put his hand on Reid's back to try to reassure him, Reid swatted it away. His black eyes looked piercingly into Tyler's blue ones. "Don't touch me. Just…don't."

"Reid…"

"I can't do this, Tyler. I just can't. I thought I could, but I was wrong. What was I thinking; the men in my family, all the way back to the first, none of them could beat it. Not one. Why the hell did I think I was any different?"

"Because you want to change." The voice was quiet, and slightly pained. Caleb was leaning heavily on the wall, holding his head and focusing on staying upright. "And sometimes, that's all you need."

Reid looked at Caleb, shock plain on his face. He had been sure he had killed him; no one could hit a wall that hard and survive. Then again, the Sons of Ipswich weren't just anyone. "You- But- I…"

Caleb cut him off. "I'm fine. I think I broke something, and my head's killing me, but that probably has more to do with the amount of Power that has been flying around here lately. I've Ascended, remember? It's going to take a hell of a lot more than throwing me against a wall to get rid of me, Reid." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

Reid hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I was just so frustrated, and I tried to stop it, but I couldn't."

"I know. But you're wrong; you can stop it. We'll help if you need it, but you can do this. I promise."

Reid nodded dumbly, overwhelmed by the situation. They weren't going to give up on him. He wouldn't have blamed them if they had; he had done nothing but reinforce everyone's fears about him. And yet, even after all that, here they were, with concerned looks and intentions to get him back on the right track. He smiled to himself, secretly relieved that they hadn't left him here after all. Abandoning all attempts at saving his image, he gave into his exhaustion, letting the black that hovered in his periphery claim him.

**Yeah, I know, this one was a little short. It was kind of intense though, so I hope you'll let it slide. And Reid's a little OOC…but I think it's justified, don't you? Also, you didn't seriously think I'd kill Caleb off, did you? Come on; he may not be my favorite character (I think it's pretty clear who is), but I'm not _that_ mean. lol **

**I can guarantee a couple more chapters, so stay with me. Reviews are always welcome!**


	6. A Ten on the Weirdness Scale

Reid woke up to find himself back in his own bed. He looked around, and was relieved to see the others standing in the room, looking worried, waiting for him to wake up. "Hey," he said, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Hey yourself," Pogue said, smirking. "It's about time you woke up; it's almost noon."

Reid rolled his eyes. "Like you've never slept that late before. It's the weekend; I think I'm allowed."

Pogue conceded the point, and moved on to the next thing on his mind. "So, you okay?"

Reid groaned. "Yes, I am fine, thanks Mom. I think I've heard that enough from all of you; if you ask me again, I swear, I might hurl."

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"Fuck," Reid muttered under his breath. Not using was proving much harder than he had hoped. Not that he was surprised; he had used way too much Power yesterday, which had pushed him over the edge into addiction. Consequently, he was shaking, and couldn't keep focused on anything for more than a few minutes. Or, at least, anything not related to using. His thoughts kept returning to how he had felt the previous day; powerful, invincible, like no one could touch him. And he had to make a conscious effort not to use. It was a damn good thing it was Saturday, because if it was during the week he probably would have blown the Covenant; his eyes kept turning black, whether or not he was using, and each time they did it got harder and harder to make them go back to normal.

Caleb wouldn't let him leave the room; he said it was too dangerous, that someone might discover their secret or that they might have a repeat performance of last night if someone pissed Reid off accidentally. So they sat, Reid on his bed, absolutely miserable, and the others on Tyler's bed and the beanbag chair in the corner.

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"Keep staring; I might do a trick." Reid was getting impatient with the inactivity and the fact that three sets of eyes were trained on him. "Are you just going to sit here all weekend, waiting for me to flip out on someone? 'Cuz if you want, I'll do it now to get it out of the way." He was trying to be funny, to release some of the tension in the room, but no one laughed. They knew it was all too possible that he would, intentionally or not.

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Reid was trying so hard to hide what he was going through, hoping that it would stop, but things had only gotten worse over the past few hours. He closed his eyes, hoping that it would help his concentration, but it only made him feel the stares of his friends more clearly. He was leaning against the wall, unable to sit up straight on his own because he was spending all his energy keeping the Power at bay, and couldn't spare any of it on anything else. Reid wished they would stop looking at him; it made him feel like an animal at the zoo, something strange on display for all to see. Plus, he couldn't stop shaking. He clenched his fists, crossing his arms in an effort to hide his weakness.

"How are you holding up?" Tyler asked, concerned about Reid's silence. Usually they couldn't get him to shut up, but over the past few hours he had gradually tended more and more towards silence, until he eventually had stopped talking altogether.

Reid opened his eyes, revealing the black that had refused to disappear, even after hours of nonuse. "Let's see," he said, plainly irritated. "I'm going through withdrawal; I can't think about anything other than wanting to use, my head hurts from keeping the Power in check, I can't stop shaking, and I feel like I'm going to hurl. How do you think I'm doing, Tyler?"

"Sorry I asked," Tyler muttered.

Reid sighed. "Sorry, man; I'm not trying to be bitchy, honest. I just-" Reid stopped, doubling over in pain. "Son of a _bitch_," he yelled, trying to get a handle on the sudden lancing pain in his head.

Immediately the others sprang into action. They crowded around the narrow bed, despite Caleb's attempts to get them to back off. "Come on, guys; you're not helping. Give him some space." They obediently returned to their previous positions, but neither Tyler nor Pogue could sit still. Reid was now laying on the bed, biting his lip until it bled in his effort to keep from screaming. This blood dripped onto the bed, joining the puddles formed by the blood running form his nose. When would it stop? What the hell had he ever done to deserve this?

"You've got this, Reid; you're all right." Caleb hated to see Reid reduced to this, a shivering, cringing wreck of a human being, but he didn't know what to do. The fearless leader of the group was finally out of ideas. One of the members of their group was in severe trouble, probably in the fight of his life, and there wasn't a damn thing any of them could do but sit there and watch, hoping he would get through it. He knew his words were false comfort; Reid most certainly was not "all right", but he was at a loss for what to say.

After what seemed like hours but was really only minutes, Reid quieted, the Power retreating yet again. He remained in the position he was in when it had hit, his knees pulled up to his chest, his arms wrapped around his head, his eyes shut firmly. He was shivering, as if he was in the middle of the arctic instead of a heated building, and his bleach-blond hair was stringy with sweat. He lifted his head to look at Caleb, revealing dull, blue eyes instead of the black the others had expected. He swallowed thickly. "I don't know how much more of this I can take, Caleb. Any more, and…" He fell silent, afraid to finish his own sentence.

Caleb shook his head. "Not gonna happen," Caleb responded fiercely. "Don't even think about it. You'll get through this. It's an addiction, right? Well, like most people with addictions, it gets worse before it gets better."

"Thanks, that was really helpful. I feel _so_ much better now," Reid said sardonically, chuckling. The chuckling turned into coughing, which subsided after a few minutes.

"Yeah, that really didn't come out quite right." Reid smirked. "But seriously," Caleb continued before Reid could butt in again, "it will get better. You've gone through the worse, so it should only get easier."

Reid just snorted. It certainly didn't feel like it was getting any easier. He was freezing, and things were getting blurry. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision, but it didn't work. He closed his eyes and pulled himself back to a sitting position, putting his head back against the wall and sighing heavily. His teeth were chattering, so he clenched his jaw, trying to hide his discomfort. But Caleb was watching him too closely to be fooled. He put the back of his hand against Reid's forehead. His skin was damp with sweat, and he could feel the heat radiating from it from a few inches away. "You're burning up. Damn it, Reid; why the hell didn't you say something?"

"'Cuz there's something a little bigger I'm worrying about, dumbass. Like trying not to kill you all by accident." Again, he was trying to make a joke, but no one laughed.

Caleb grabbed a blanket from Reid's bed and tried to wrap it around him, but Reid protested, grabbing it from him. "I can do it myself; I'm sick, not incompetent." He pulled the blanket around himself, pulling it as close as he could. He lay down and closed his eyes. "Now, if no one has any complaints, I'm going back to sleep."

Reid's sleep was restless. He tossed and turned, mumbling incoherently, making the others extremely nervous. "What the hell is going on," asked Tyler, not expecting an answer. This was new to all of them; they had never heard of anyone trying to beat an addiction to the Power, let alone succeeding, so they had no idea what to expect.

"Well, if it's anything like a drug addiction, first there's the initial shock your body goes through when it doesn't get the drug, which is what he was going through earlier. Then there's the fever, when your body's getting rid of all the toxins that have built up from use. That's what he's going through now. Once the fever breaks, he should be okay. I think." Pogue was explaining more for something to do; he knew the question had been rhetorical, but he had needed to say it, to maybe give them hope that Reid would get through it. He began pacing back and forth across the floor of the small room. Tyler opened his mouth, intending to tell Pogue to cut it out, but Caleb shook his head. They were all tense; if Pogue needed to pace to try to relieve it, then so be it.

Suddenly Reid sat straight up, opening his eyes. "Caleb!" Caleb walked over to the bed and crouched next to it. "Yeah, Reid?" Reid grabbed his wrist and looked into his eyes intently. "Tell the monkey the tiger doesn't want any cake."

Caleb nodded. He had absolutely no idea what the hell Reid was talking about; obviously he was delusional. But he figured he'd humor him. But the nod apparently wasn't enough for Reid. "Tell him!" His voice was earnest, as if it was a life-or-death thing. "Yeah, Reid, don't worry; I'll make sure I do that." Reid relaxed, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he fell back onto the bed, unconscious again.

"Well, raise your hand if you thought that was weird," Pogue said. Tyler raised his hand. "Definitely a ten on the weirdness scale." Caleb raised his hand too.

"Okay, now raise your hand if you're never going to let him live it down." Everyone raised their hand again. "The topic will definitely find a way into the conversation," Caleb said, grinning evilly.

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Reid woke up a few hours later feeling…normal. Well, not entirely normal, but about as normal as one of the Sons of Ipswich could ever be. The nagging voice that had been trying to get him to use almost constantly since he had Ascended was gone, leaving him feeling much more in control. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and looked at his friends looking anxiously at him. He got up, and picked up his MP3 player, put his headphones on and cranked up the volume. After a few minutes of watching Reid tapping his foot to the rhythm of the song, Tyler got up and removed his headphones.

"Hey! What the hell? I was listening to that!" He grabbed the headphones back, and was going to put them back on until Caleb butted in. "Well?"

"Well what?" Reid asked innocently. He figured he'd make them sweat.

"You know damn well what I mean."

"Oh, that. Yeah, I'm fine," he said, smirking.

"Elaborate."

Reid sighed. "What do you want me to say, Caleb? I'm fine; no overwhelming desire to float pencils, choke Aaron, or use in any way. No crazy voices telling me to do things. I am one hundred percent drug free."

"Don't even try to joke about it; it's not funny. You could have killed Aaron, or one of us, or yourself. You were addicted, Reid; this is serious."

Reid snorted. "But I'm not anymore. I've learned my lesson; you don't need to keep lecturing me. I am fully aware of what I could have done. But I didn't, and I'm not going to, so just let the horse die already."

It was Caleb's turn to sigh. He may have learned his lesson about using, but he was still the same old Reid; always acting without thinking about the consequences. As long as nothing bad happened from the things he did, he didn't even bother to think of what could have happened. That was Reid's main problem; he lived in the moment, with no thought for the future, which ended up getting him into trouble. Maybe one of these days he would grow up. Looking at Reid goofing off with Pogue and Tyler, he chuckled to himself. On second thought, maybe not.


	7. The Lie

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed…I'm going to keep this story going as long as I can, more because I wasn't completely convinced by Reid either (yes, and I am the one who wrote the fic…go figure); when I wrote it I figured it would be the end of it, but when I went back to read it after I had finished, like most of you, I thought Reid wasn't entirely convincing. So, here's another chapter. I'm debating as to whether or not to introduce a chick into the story so Reid has a real reason not to use…RedRogue suggested it, but it's been done (not that that's stopped me before…lol) and I'm not really good at that kind of thing. I think I may attempt it though. Not in this chapter, but maybe the next one. If anyone has any ideas for a name for her, let me know; I suck at naming people…lol. **

_Reid was an expert at lying. Not that he did it on a regular basis, but over the years he had become pretty good at hiding things. It probably had something to do with the Covenant, since that secret had to be kept hidden no matter the cost. Needing to cover something up for five years tends to give you the ability to lie convincingly about almost anything. So, when he told his friends that everything was okay, they believed him. He was kind of surprised Caleb didn't call him on it, since Caleb seemed to know when Reid was lying even when the others didn't, but he figured maybe he was giving him a chance to come clean. Or maybe he really didn't know._

_Reid really did feel better than he had in days; that part was the truth. No more shakiness or aching or promises from the Power about what he could be. But it was there, waiting for him to drop his guard. That is what he hid. He was still addicted, no matter how much he tried to deny it; he could feel the Power sitting there, waiting until he wasn't paying attention. If his concentration ever lapsed, if he dropped his guard for even a second, it would be all over._

_So he hid it; whether it was to spare his friends the continued worry or to save his pride, he wasn't sure, and at this point he really didn't care. He was secretive by nature, so he covered it up mostly on instinct, and didn't much question why._

**I know this chapter is _way_ too short, but it's more of an intermission; it's basically what was running through Reid's head after he woke up in the last chapter, when he seemed to be back to normal. I promise, there will be another chapter, and it will be better. However, like I said above, I need to know whether Reid should get a chick, and what said chick's name should be. Once I have your input, the next chapter will come much faster. Promise.**


	8. Self Destruct

**Thanks for the reviews…they were extremely helpful. I actually decided to scrap the whole chick idea; I tried, but it just ended up needing to have a bunch of extra stuff added in that would, in my opinion, at least, end up taking away from the story I'm telling. I apologize to the people who wanted a chick for getting your hopes up; it was really only me thinking out loud. Thanks for your support, though; it is much appreciated.**

Reid stormed into his room, completely frustrated. It was the weekend, again, and he had come home because he needed a break from the constant nagging of his friends. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? He had told them a billion times that he was fine, but they just wouldn't drop it. He flopped backwards onto his bed, covering his face with his hands. Granted, they had a point, but he had done nothing to make any of them think he was lying. And Caleb was the worst. He had never believed anything Reid said, about using, or addiction, or anything. Like that night at Nicky's when he and Caleb got in a fight, not the most recent time, the time around when Caleb met Sarah. Reid hadn't used the night before, but Caleb had assumed he was lying. Like always.

He stood back up and began pacing the room, with each pass getting more and more worked up. None of the others had this problem; Caleb believed _them_ without question. But not Reid; Caleb doubted every damn word that came out of his mouth, without even _listening_. What, did he have a sign around his neck that said "I'm just a big addict who needs to use all the time"? He snorted. Never mind if it was true; that wasn't the point. The point was that Caleb had believed that _before_ Reid actually got addicted, which just pissed him off.

The room began to shake. Reid didn't notice, being too involved in his annoyance at Caleb to pay attention to what was going on around him. The longer he paced, the more frustrated he got, and the more the room shook. The various things he had accumulated over the years began to float, and before Reid knew it, one of the textbooks he had brought home flew across the room, knocking over a lamp and hitting the wall hard enough to leave a mark. The lamp fell to the floor with a crash, sending shards of glass everywhere. Reid quickly turned towards the noise. "_Shit_," he muttered. "Just what I need; one more thing to prove Danvers right."

"Reid?" The voice came from downstairs. It sounded concerned, which temporarily halted Reid's pacing. "Is everything all right up there?"

"Yes, Mom; I'm fine. I just knocked a lamp over; don't worry about it."

"Are you sure? Because-"

Reid cut her off. "I'm fine, alright? Just leave me alone." He slammed the door and resumed his pacing. Now his mom was on his case. He didn't blame her; his father had died from overusing years before, and he seemed to be heading down the same path, so she had a right to be on his ass. But she had made it clear that she expected him to end up just like his father, so why the hell was she so concerned _now_? He shook his head. It wasn't important. Everyone seemed convinced he would end up that way; Caleb, his mom, even Pogue and Tyler, although they never said it. Even before he had Ascended they had thought that; did he really seem to have that little self-control?

As his annoyance rose, the room resumed its shaking, and things began flying around the room. Reid knew this was bad; he was slowly losing control, again, and this time there was no one there to calm him down. As a discarded sneaker narrowly missed his head, he tried to shut the Power off, but it was as if it wasn't his to control anymore. He was still angry with Caleb and the others, and the Power was feeding off of it, gradually becoming more and more forceful. Almost everything that was breakable in the room had been broken; shards of CDs whizzed around the room, cutting any exposed skin as they passed by, the ancient mirror behind the door was cracked, revealing the mercury backing, and the quilt on his bed looked as if it had been attacked by a wild animal. Reid was getting weaker by the second; he wasn't a lightweight when it came to using, but the Power was drawing on every available ounce of energy he had, and it was beginning to take its toll. He crawled into the furthest corner of the room, between the bed and the wall, seeking refuge from the chaos, and immediately collapsed. As Reid passed into unconsciousness, the flying objects slowed and finally stopped, crashing to the floor.

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Sarah pulled into the driveway of the Garwin estate. She really didn't want to be here, but Caleb had insisted. She had gotten a call a few minutes ago from Caleb, who had asked her to stop over Reid's house. He said he had felt someone using, and since both Pogue and Tyler denied it, he wanted her to check on Reid, since he wasn't answering his phone. He would have gone over there himself, but Reid had been in such a bad mood when he left that he figured it might be better if it was someone who wasn't part of the Covenant. So she was left with the task.

She walked to the door, and knocked. Reid's mom answered the door, frantic. "Hello. You're Caleb's girlfriend, right?"

"Yeah, Sarah."

"That's right." She seemed distracted. "I don't mean to be rude, but why are you here? Caleb is at the school, if you're looking for him."

"No, actually, he told me to come check up on Reid. He seemed to be in a bad mood earlier, and he just wanted to make sure everything was alright."

Mrs. Garwin became more flustered. "Well, actually, I'm not sure. He's up in his room. There were crashes and banging up there a few minutes ago, but it's gotten oddly quiet. I was just going to check up on him, but he slammed the door and told me to leave him alone. You're welcome to try."

"I will. Where's his room?"

"Up the stairs, first room on the left."

"Thanks." Mrs. Garwin seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as Sarah walked towards the stairs.

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"Reid?" There was no answer. Sarah climbed the stairs to Reid's bedroom, her anxiety mounting. Why wouldn't he answer? He was home; his truck was in the driveway. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally got to the top of the stairs and stood in front of the door to Reid's room. It was closed. She knocked, hoping that maybe he was just sleeping. When Reid didn't answer, Sarah began to worry. Was he just being his normal, broody self, or was something wrong?

She opened the door slowly, peeking around it once it was open a sliver. "Reid? I'm coming in, okay?" No answer. Sarah took a deep breath, expecting the worst. But nothing could prepare her for what was inside.

It looked like a hurricane had hit. There was broken glass and shards of plastic all over the floor, huge cracks and dents covered the walls, some with pieces of whatever had hit them still lodged in the plaster, and every piece of furniture was either broken or upended. _What happened in here?_ Sarah thought to herself. _Did Reid do this? No, Caleb said he had stopped using for the most part. But if he didn't do it, then who did?_

She heard a moan coming from the far corner of the room, and immediately crossed the room, moving the bed out of the way. Behind it lay Reid, barely conscious. His eyelids fluttered, and he moaned again, moving slightly to be closer to the wall. He was covered in small scratches, but there was nothing she could see that would account for his condition. Sarah sat down next to him, and cradled his head in her lap, making soothing noises in an effort to calm him down. "Shh…it's okay, you're okay."

Reid quieted, and after a few minutes he cautiously opened his eyes. His black eyes met Sarah's blue ones, and, seeing her shock at the color of his eyes, he immediately closed them, and tried to sit up. "Oh, no you don't," Maeve said, pulling him back down. "I don't know what happened, and I promise you I will find out, but what I do know is that you should not, by any means, be getting up right now. Your room is a complete mess and you are perfectly fine? Sorry, don't believe it. So, what's the deal?"

Reid shook his head, his eyes still closed. "Not important," he said, his voice hoarse.

"Bullshit. And look at me, alright? I feel like a therapist."

Reid chuckled, but still kept his eyes shut. "Can't do that, Sarah. Sorry."

"And why the hell can't you? Your eyelids aren't glued shut, are they?" Her words were thick with sarcasm.

Reid shook his head. He was starting to recover, so he began brushing off her concern, his irritation at his momentary display of weakness growing. "Just let it go, alright? You shouldn't even be here; I don't know why the hell my mom even let you in the house, but it would be a really good idea if you left."

"Sorry, Reid, I'm not going anywhere. Caleb told me to come check on you, so here I am. Deal with it."

"Danvers put you up to this? Figues. He must have felt the Power, and assumed it was me." He tried to get up again, and when she tried to pull him back down he broke free and stood. "He just wanted to help. Can't you see that? He was worried about you!" Sarah shouted. Why did Reid need to be so difficult?

Reid opened his eyes, revealing pitch black orbs, and stared down at her. "And he couldn't come in person; he had to send his _girlfriend_. Yeah, I can tell he really cares." He spit the word out. He was sick and tired of everyone treating him like a caged animal; he was _fine_; he didn't need or want anyone's pity or concern, least of all Caleb's. "I'm only going to say this once more, Sarah. _Leave me alone._" The room began to shake again, and the shards of broken glass and plastic began circling the floor.

It was Sarah's turn to back up. "Reid, what- what the hell is going on? What's wrong with your eyes?" She couldn't prevent the panic from entering her voice. She had never actually seen any of them use, only heard about it, and the experience was not a good one. Reid looked inhuman, there was no other way to describe it.

"You wouldn't understand," he spat. "Although I guess now is as good a time as any to try to explain it to you. You want to know what's going on?"

"Reid, stop it; you're scaring me."

"Well, maybe you should have thought about that before you stuck your nose in things you had no business being involved in. Now it's too late." The wind in the room began to pick up, causing the shards to move faster and faster and the wind to howl. Reid stood in the middle of it all, face upturned and eyes flashing, an evil grin on his face. His arms were held out to his sides, and he looked as if he was thoroughly enjoying this.

"Reid!" Sarah yelled over the wind, "Stop it! You don't need to do this, just _stop it_!"

Reid laughed. "I couldn't, even if I wanted to. So just relax, and enjoy the ride!" The shards whipped through the air, stinging when they sliced through flesh on their way by. He began swaying on his feet, but ignored it. He knew this was stupid; he was just being childish. He had thought he was over being jealous of the fact that Caleb had gotten to Sarah before he could. But the Power was drawing on the feelings he had hidden away, the ugly emotions he had tried to quash, and it was too late for turning back now. He hadn't been lying when he told Sarah that he couldn't stop; he was so weak from the last time he had used that any effort he made to get the Power under control made no difference. It flowed through his veins like liquid fire, burning until Reid had nothing left. He slumped to the floor, only prevented from slamming his head into the floor when Sarah quickly grabbed him under the arms and lowered him to the floor.

"Reid? Can you hear me?" Sarah sat down next to him, shaking his unconscious form. He looked so pale, and his breaths were so shallow, that she had to put her head on his chest to even notice that he was still alive.

She heard footsteps running up the stairs, and was confronted by a frantic Mrs. Garwin. She immediately kneeled down next to her son, and, after reassuring herself that he was still breathing, she looked intently at the girl in the room. What had she seen? It was obvious that Reid had had one of his "episodes," this one much worse than any she had ever seen before. She was shocked at the damage her only son had done to the room. But things could be replaced, and she had a more important issue to deal with at the moment. "Sarah, I think you should call Caleb immediately."

Sarah was hesitant. She knew about the Covenant, and how once they Ascended the Power drew on their life force, aging them prematurely, but she thought that Reid would do better with medical attention. "Maybe we should call an ambulance…"

"_No_." Her voice came out harsher than she intended. "No, I believe that Caleb would be better able to handle this situation than the hospital. You'll have to trust me on this." How much did she know? She hoped the girl would do as she asked, without any more questions. God knows they didn't need any more.

"Okay, umm…I'm just going to go downstairs then. Could I use your phone? My cell battery is almost dead."

"Yes, by all means. It should be in the living room."

Sarah ran down the stairs to the living room, found the phone, and dialed Caleb's number.

It rang. After a few minutes, the line picked up on the other side. "Hello?"

"Hi, Caleb? It's Sarah. Umm…something's wrong with Reid, and his mom told me to call you. We're at his house now."

"Okay, I'll be right over." Caleb hung up. What had Reid done now? They had thought he was out of the woods, but apparently Reid had been lying. Not that Caleb was surprised; Reid tended to lie about a lot of things, and sometimes it was hard to separate the lies from the truth. He sighed, getting into his car and starting the engine.

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He pulled into the driveway of the Garwin estate, trying to calm his nerves. His brain kept running through all the scenarios, or at least, all the negative ones; Reid dead, Reid aged fifty years, Reid standing over the body of someone he had killed. He shook his head. This wasn't helping.

He got out of the car, and entered the house. "Hello? It's Caleb; anyone here?"

"Upstairs," a voice called. He mounted the stairs, then walked down the hallway until he reached Reid's bedroom. His mother was sitting next to an unconscious Reid, tears in her eyes, and Sarah was standing in the corner, staring at her feet, looking lost and uncertain. "You can go home now," Caleb said to her. "I've got this under control. I'll call you later." He kissed her cheek. "You did the right thing." Sarah gave him a small smile, and left.

Caleb kneeled, looking at Reid. "He's not dead," Mrs. Garwin said, leaving out what they both were thinking but neither of them wanted to acknowledge. _Yet_. Caleb nodded. He shook Reid's shoulders gently. "Wake up Reid, come on." Reid stirred, but didn't open his eyes. "Come on; don't give up on us now. Wake up. Or say something; just let me know you're still here."

Reid groaned, and opened his eyes a little. He saw Caleb and closed them again, sighing. "Fuck," he whispered.

"So, want to tell me what you did that scared Sarah so badly?"

"How bad is it?" Reid asked, his voice hoarse.

"Well, the room looks like a bomb went off, you look like death warmed over, and you'll be lucky if after the stunt you pulled Sarah doesn't think you're mentally unstable. What the hell were you thinking? I'm not sure what I'm angrier about; the fact that you could have killed her or that you could have killed yourself!"

"I wasn't…the first time-"

"Wait…there was a _first_ time?!" Caleb was furious. Not that Reid blamed him; he had every right to be, considering Reid's recent track record.

"Yeah, earlier. After I got home I was pretty pissed off, and I just lost it. So bomb number one. Then Sarah showed up, and pissed me off some more, and that time I couldn't even _try_ to stop it. I'm serious," he said, seeing Caleb's raised eyebrow. "Don't think I didn't try. It was like it wasn't mine anymore; there was nothing I could do but wait until it blew itself out."

Caleb closed his eyes and pressed his fingertips against his temples. "So you lied to us."

Reid sat up, bracing himself against the wall since he was still weak from using. "Yes. You want me to be honest, yeah, I did. You want to know why?" His words were bitter.

Caleb sighed. The last thing he needed was a moody Reid. "Sure, enlighten me. Why did you lie to us about being 'drug free', as I believe you put it?"

"Because I hoped it would get better, because I got sick of the looks I got from you guys like you thought I was unstable, pick one; I've got more if you want to hear 'em."

"Not good enough."

"What, so you honestly wanted me to say 'nice try, but I'm still fucked up, it looks like I'll end up like Chase after all?' Come on, Caleb; be serious."

"I _am_ being serious. And I wish for once in your life you would be too." Caleb was getting frustrated; why did Reid always have to try to alienate everyone when they were only trying to help?

"You want me to be serious? Fine. Why don't you get it into your thick skull that there is nothing anyone can do to make this situation any better? It's getting so bad that I can't even control it half the time! Both times I used today, I didn't even want to; hell, I tried to stop, and I _couldn't_." The room was starting to shake again. "See? That, right there? That's me, but I didn't tell it to do that, and I can tell you right now, any attempt I make to stop it is going to fail. This isn't like some cigarette or caffeine addiction, or even a heroin addiction. This is like trying to stop _breathing_; you can do it for a while, but once you pass out, you start up again."

_Reid Garwin, stop using, or I swear I'll…_

_That's just it. I can't. _He hesitated, thinking whether or not to continue, then plunged on. _You remember when we turned thirteen and got the Power? Do you remember what we promised to do if it ever got this bad? _

Caleb nodded.

Reid continued. _You have to do it. That's the only way this will stop. I don't want to end up like my father; it's the only way._

Caleb shook his head. "Don't say that," he whispered vehemently. "Don't you ever say that." Reid's mother looked at Caleb intently, trying to figure out what he was talking about, but Caleb waved her away. This was a personal thing. She didn't need to know what her son was asking of him. If she knew, it would break her heart.

**Bwa ha ha…stopping right when it's getting interesting. Actually, I thought it was getting a little long, so I'm stopping the chapter here and resuming the situation in the next chapter. Plus, I get to leave you all in suspense while I write the next chapter. 'Cuz I'm evil that way. Again, Reid is a little out of character, but considering what he's going through, I kinda doubt this is far from how he would act. I hope I didn't disappoint those of you who wanted Reid to have a friend of the female persuasion; you can probably understand why I decided not to do it though. At least, I hope you can. I think it turned out pretty good without one though; it makes it more realistic. Anyway, I probably don't have to tell you this, but PLEASE REVIEW! I want to know what you think, as always. I guess I'm insecure like that.**


	9. The Promise

**Thanks for the reviews…granted, this chapter would be here even if I got no reviews, but that's not the point, now is it? I know you all just want to get to the story, so I'll make this quick and painless. If I'm taking too long, feel free to skip ahead…I'm sure that's what you're all doing anyway…lol. I don't own Reid or any of the other characters that show up throughout the fic, so don't even bother asking. The plot, however, is my own. Now, if you're still reading this, you deserve a cookie. Or a reward of some sort. However, all I have to give you is the next chapter, which works, I guess. So by all means, continue on to the story.**

_Reid Garwin, stop using, or I swear I'll…_

_That's just it. I can't. _He hesitated, thinking whether or not to continue, then plunged on. _You remember when we turned thirteen and got the Power? Do you remember what we promised to do if it ever got this bad? _

Caleb nodded.

Reid continued. _You have to do it. That's the only way this will stop. I don't want to end up like my father; it's the only way._

Caleb shook his head. "Don't say that," he whispered vehemently. "Don't you ever say that." Reid's mother looked at Caleb intently, trying to figure out what he was talking about, but Caleb waved her away. This was a personal thing. She didn't need to know what her son was asking of him. If she knew, it would break her heart.

**Sorry, quick recap, just so the moment is in place. Back to the story.**

Reid was slumped against the wall, breathing heavily, his eyes closed. He didn't want to look at Caleb, or his mother. He couldn't. How had things gotten so bad? He could remember when it all started, when they were all thirteen and carefree, oblivious to the futures laid out for them. When they had first gotten the Power, it was like Christmas; suddenly they were different, special. Even the lectures their parents gave them about how they had a responsibility to keep the Magyk hidden and Use responsibly couldn't dull their excitement. The years had passed, and they had experienced firsthand the consequences of Using too much as Reid's father aged prematurely, and Caleb's father, trying to stop the older Garwin from losing connection to the world completely, blocked his Power. Reid's father died anyway, being too far gone to survive without Using, and Caleb's father ended up becoming addicted from his attempts to save him, and suffered the effects of overusing himself. Reid had refused to accept his father's death, believing that he would never share his father's fate; he was different. Yet here he was, on the brink of becoming what he had sworn he would never be. He should have seen it coming; given the way he Used, it was inevitable. Caleb had warned him of it often enough. But, being the stubborn son-of-a-bitch he was, he hadn't listened, believing that he was immune. He laughed bitterly. And now it was too late.

"Reid? You still here?"

He nodded, jolted out of his thoughts. "Yeah."

"I meant what I said; I'm not giving up on you."

"I know."

"Open your eyes."

"Why? You know what they look like," Reid said, scowling. He didn't even have the energy for a biting comment. He was just so tired…

"Yeah, but that's not the point. Just open your eyes. I know it doesn't matter to you, but it does to me."

"Fine." He opened his eyes, looking up at Caleb. His eyes were black as night still, being the same color they had been since he had gotten home. "Happy now?" He lowered his head, not sure what the point of the exercise was.

"Reid, you have to make it stop." Caleb sounded apologetic; it was as if he really did realize how little control Reid really had over the mini whirlwind whipping around the room. It was more a nuisance than destructive; it may have wrecked something if there was anything left to wreck, but Reid's first two storms had managed to damage anything in the room that could be damaged, so this one ended up just moving the debris around.

Reid looked up at him, looking as if he might collapse at any moment. "I told you, I can't. I'm sorry; it's beyond my control." It hurt him to admit this, but now was no time for lies. The Power was slowly draining him, and he was having enough trouble staying focused on what was going on right now, let alone lying to Caleb.

"No, you can stop it. You created it, you can stop it."

Reid shook his head. "I've tried. Nothing."

"Then I'll help." He sat down next to Reid, grabbing his hand. Any other time Reid would have pulled his hand back as if it were on fire, but not today. He nodded. "Okay," he whispered.

He took a deep breath and pulled together all his reserves. He began to throw it out in a net, trying to catch hold of the Power controlling the storm. His attempt was weak, but Caleb added his own Power, much as Tyler had done weeks earlier, and Reid accepted it, adding it to his own. He harnessed in the Power, calling it back, claiming it as his own. He stuffed it down, silencing it, and the whirlwind died down until, finally, the room was silent.

Reid was left gasping for breath. He put his head against his knees, focusing all his attention on stopping the room from spinning. He was shaking, not surprising considering what he had just done.

"You okay?" Caleb sounded concerned.

"Yeah, I think so," Reid answered. "As long as the damn room stops spinning. God, my head hurts."

Caleb chuckled. "Yeah, I can imagine it would."

Reid still had his eyes closed. He was afraid of what he would find when he opened them. He wasn't Using, but then again, over the past few weeks that hadn't mattered much. Caleb picked up on his worry. "Alright, enough delaying. Open your eyes."

Reid reluctantly did, revealing the black orbs that they had been for the past few hours. Caleb sighed. "What, you expected them to be normal?" Reid asked sardonically.

"Hold on, I have an idea." Caleb wasn't ready to give it up as hopeless yet. Reid may be addicted, sure, but that didn't mean he was a lost cause. He thought.

"Okay. Close your eyes." Reid did, and Caleb put his hands on the sides of his head. "Now don't think about anything. Just breathe with me." Reid snorted, unconvinced that it would work. But Caleb was insistent, so he played along, breathing in when Caleb did and exhaling when Caleb did. After a few minutes, Caleb said "Alright. Now, when I say so, open your eyes." He waited a minute, then said, "Okay. Open your eyes."

Reid did. "Well?"

"See for yourself." Caleb handed him a shard of mirror.

Reid cautiously took it, and brought it up to his face. He looked at his eyes. They were blue, the blue he had feared he would never see again. He sighed in relief. Maybe he _could_ beat this. He looked at the face the eyes were in, and was surprised to see that he hadn't aged all that much. Maybe a couple of years, if that. He had half expected to see the face of an old man looking back at him. But it wasn't; it was still his own, if a little older.

His relief didn't last long. "You do realize this isn't the end of it, right? I'm okay for now, but how long will it be until I lose it again? I know you don't want to, but you're going to have to do it. I don't want to die an eighteen year old boy in a hundred year old body. I don't want to go having absolutely no control over my own life. If you won't I will, I swear." Reid's voice was intense; he meant every word he said.

Caleb shook his head. "I told you; it's not going to be that way." Five years earlier, when they had first gotten the Power, they had made an agreement, the four of them, after seeing what it was doing to Reid's father. If it ever got bad, if it ever got to a point where one of them couldn't control it anymore, they agreed that death would be better than the life left to that person. They had shaken on it, sealing the deal with Magyk, and left it at that. It had never been spoken of again, until now.

"So, you're telling me you're going to go back on your promise? Come on, we agreed that it was the only option." He looked up, to see his mother crying silently. "Don't cry; please. It's okay, really." He spoke quietly, trying not to upset her further. She shook her head. "I lost your father, I don't want to lose you too."

"You won't," Caleb said. "Reid, you're not using now, right?"

Reid shrugged. "I guess not. I don't see what that has to do with anything though." His words were hollow, emotionless. He looked defeated; he had dark circles under his eyes, and his eyes were dull. He kept dozing off, and kept shaking his head, trying to stay awake. Falling asleep now would be disastrous, since he was barely keeping the Power under control while he was conscious.

"Okay, so we're making progress." As Reid dozed off again, Caleb shook him gently. "Reid, you have to stay with me. Don't fall asleep now."

"But I'm so tired…just a few minutes?"

"Sorry, I can't let you. I promise, when this is all over, you can have all the sleep you want. But right now, you have to stay awake. Alright?"

"'Kay," Reid said vaguely.

Caleb fell silent, thinking, trying to find a way to get Reid out of the situation he was in. The rational part of his mind told him that Reid was right, and that there was nothing Caleb could do for him. But the rest of it was screaming that there had to be a way, if he could only think of it. Suddenly he had it.

He thought back to when his father, along with Tyler and Pogue's fathers, had blocked Reid's father's Power. It had worked in the beginning; they had thought he was getting better, since he seemed to be dealing with it better. It was only in the last few days of his life that he had gotten exponentially worse, and that was from years of addiction. Reid had only been addicted for a week or so; maybe he would fully recover if he had no access to the Power at all. Of course, he could get better only to return to his current condition once they unblocked it, but that was a risk that had to be taken. If it didn't work, then he would follow through with their promise.

"Reid?"

Reid looked up. "Yeah?"

"I've got an idea, a way to help. It might fix this whole problem."

"Great." He didn't sound overly enthusiastic. Personally, he felt that whatever it was was a complete waste of time, but if it would make Caleb feel better, then he would do it.

"I'm going to call Pogue and Tyler; once they're here, I'll tell all of you." He didn't want to have to explain it more than once, especially since Reid would probably try to put up a fight when he heard what Caleb proposed to do.

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All the sons of Ipswich were now standing in Reid's room, waiting expectantly for Caleb to tell them all what he proposed. Reid's mother had left, being unable to be in the same room with them without bursting into tears. She was a strong woman; after all, she had gone through this once before. However, the fact that it looked like she was going to lose her only child the same way she had lost her husband was proving to be too much for her.

"So, what's the plan, Caleb?" Pogue asked. He and Tyler had been briefed on the situation, and now were interested as to why Caleb had called them.

Caleb hesitated. Would this even work? He had no idea, but he had to try. "You remember when our fathers blocked Reid's dad's Power when he got really bad?"

They all nodded. "Well, I think we should try that on Reid." Reid tried to interrupt, but Caleb continued, ignoring him. "I think it will work this time; Reid's only been addicted a week or so, which I'm hoping will mean that he'll be able to beat it if we do this. I know, Reid, you don't like it, but it's the only thing I can think of that might actually work."

Reid sighed. "Fine. If you think it will work, fine, I'll do it. But if it doesn't…"

"Yeah, I promise."

"So, how do we do this then?" Reid brought up a good point; none of them had actually been there when it had been done, and their fathers never talked about it, so they had no idea even of how to begin.

Tyler thought. "Well, it's just like anything else, right? Just imagine doing it, want it to happen, and it will. Right?"

They all agreed, and got to work. The others pooled their Power while Reid sat up against the wall, waiting. They made a net, as they had before, only this time they sent it into Reid instead of around him. They found his Power, and threw the net around it, turning the net into a box once the Power was secure. Then they let go. It was done.

Reid sat there, his eyes closed again. "We're done," Caleb said. Reid nodded. He began to take inventory of himself. Shakiness – gone. Tiredness – still there, but it wasn't getting any worse. He tried to use, just to see, but nothing happened. Power – gone. Or, at least, inaccessible to him. Which amounted to the same thing. He opened his eyes and looked up at his friends. "It worked." He sounded surprised; he hadn't expected it to be that easy. "Now what?"

"Well, now we wait and see how you do. If you're still addicted you'll go through withdrawal again-"

"Great. Can't wait for that," Reid interrupted.

Caleb rolled his eyes. "And if you get through that okay, you should be fine."

Reid nodded. "Okay, I can do that. But first, I need to get some sleep; I feel like I haven't slept in a week."

Caleb agreed. "Go ahead; you're going to need all the rest you can get now."

Reid got up, walked over to what remained of his bed, lay down, and within seconds was asleep.

**It's not over yet! At least one more chapter. Does Reid get better? Or will the Sons of Ipswich be forced to follow through with their promise? Wait for the next chapter and it will all be revealed! Please review; I need to hear your input or I will cry (well, not really, but I do enjoy hearing what you all have to say).**


	10. Internal Dialogue

**Next chapter! Pretty sure this isn't the last chapter, not yet anyway. Not much to say other than thanks for the reviews and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. **

**I don't own the Covenant or any of the characters, nor am I making any money off of this. Not that you didn't already know that…**

Reid hated what they had done to him. He felt impotent, helpless, weak. It was a new feeling for him, and he didn't like it at all. He kept trying to use, being unable to accept what they had done, but he couldn't even create a breeze. It was pathetic. So he stalked back and forth across the room, refusing to talk to anyone.

He had woken up a few minutes ago to the three of them staring at him from across the room, as if he might turn them all into lizards or something if they said anything. Yeah, like that was going to happen. "Take a picture; it'll last longer." He knew it was a pathetic attempt at a jibe, but he was so edgy he couldn't think of anything better. He tried to use again, but still nothing.

_Stop, Reid. I know you want to use, but it's not helping when you strain against us like that. Just calm down._

_I'm sorry, but you're not the one who feels like a dog that just came home from the vet after being fixed; you don't get to tell me what to do._

Tyler laughed. Reid glared at him. "And just what the hell are you laughing at, Sims?" Tyler immediately stopped and shook his head.

"So, Caleb. How long do I have to put up with this?" He couldn't keep the sneer out of his voice. Not that he wanted to keep it out, but it would have been there regardless.

Caleb sighed. "I don't know, Reid. Until you don't need to use."

"And just how long will that take?"

"_I don't know_. And asking me again won't make it take any less time. What, is there somewhere you need to be?"

Reid glared at him and resumed his stalking. "I need to get some air."

"Want some company?"

"No." He left the room.

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He stalked outside, resuming his pacing. It was getting colder, but he just pulled his jacket closer around himself and ignored it. He should be thankful, he knew; Caleb was only trying to help, and if this is what it took for him to break his addiction, then maybe it was for the best. But he couldn't help but be pissed at Caleb and the others for taking away the one thing that made him different from everyone else. They were going to give it back, sure; they just had to make sure he wasn't going to lose control once he got it back. But it still sucked.

He kicked a rock, making it fly a few feet before it hit a tree and bounced to the ground. He could still feel the Power within him, he just couldn't access it. It spoke up for the first time in a few days, telling him that his friends were lying to him, and that they weren't going to unblock the Power ever. _That's not true. They will._

'How do you know? Maybe Caleb was lying.'

_Yeah, right. Caleb doesn't know how, unless it's about the Covenant. And even that he blew the minute Sarah showed up._

'Well, what if you never break your addiction? What if you can't live without using?'

_No. Not an option. I've only been addicted for a few weeks; I can beat it, no problem._

'That's what your father thought.'

_Shut up. _

'Oh yeah, that's a real comeback. You know what "shut up" means? It means "You're right, but I don't want to accept it, so I'm just going to pretend you're full of shit so I don't have to actually deal with it." '

Reid leaned up against the wall. Shouldn't the Power's mocking voice be gone as well as his ability to use? Apparently not. He sighed. "Just go away," he said.

'Not a chance. You do realize your friends are full of shit, right? They don't actually think this will work.'

"Then why the hell would they try it, smartass?"

'I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they're afraid of you, of what you can do, so they locked it up so they don't have to feel so threatened.'

"You're not even making sense."

'But you're listening.'

_So you're telling me my friends are jealous, and that's why they're keeping my Power locked away._

'Of course.'

"Bullshit."

'Reid, Reid, Reid. Don't you understand? I'm just telling you things you've already thought of. This isn't new information; you've always thought they were against you. Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get you, right?'

Reid shook his head. _That's not how it is. They're trying to help._

'Now who's saying bullshit? Think about it, Reid; Caleb's always been trying to keep you down, telling you not to use so much or else you'll get addicted. What he doesn't know is that what he calls addiction is where this is all supposed to be going; it's a higher plane of existence, if you will.'

_You're beginning to sound like Chase._

Chase was right and you know it.

Reid shook his head. 'What, you don't believe me? Chase was a _god_. And you could be too if you just gave in instead of fighting it.'

_Chase was a psychotic bastard. I'm not buying what you're selling, so just give it up already._

'Okay; I'll stop. But just think about what we've talked about, alright? You're stronger than all of them; it would be a shame to waste that.'

Reid slid down the wall. Nothing was ever easy, was it? The voice was lying, he knew it. It had to be.

But what if it wasn't? He hit the wall in frustration. Why him? Why, out of all the members of the Covenant, did the Power have to choose him to taunt and try to compromise? He knew why. It was because he was the most susceptible to it; his father had given in, his grandfather had given in, his great grandfather, and so on and so forth. He was the perfect candidate. But he refused; he wasn't going to be talked into it by a fucking disembodied voice. It didn't know him, it didn't know his friends. Just because he had, at times, thought his friends were against him didn't mean he actually believed that; the Power was just latching on to any thought he had ever had, without thinking about the context. He reflexedly tried to use, but caught himself before he got very far. It wouldn't work, and every time he tried to use was probably only making things worse. He began to pound the wall over and over, venting all his frustration over the past few weeks, until his knuckles bled. And even then, he kept going, as tears of frustration began to stream down his face.

Caleb came out of the house and saw Reid. He walked over, trying to avoid detection until he was standing right next to him. "What are you doing?" He asked. There was no accusatory tone, no sarcasm, just those four words. Reid ignored him and kept pounding the wall, as if he could make all his problems go away if he just hit it hard enough.

"Reid, stop it." He got no response. He grabbed Reid's wrists, forcing him to stop. "Reid, what the hell are you doing?" Reid looked away, trying to pull out of Caleb's grasp. "Look at me." Reid shook his head. "Damn it, Reid," Caleb said, and pushed him against the wall, grabbing his chin and forcing Reid to look at him. "What are you doing? Do you think you'll accomplish something if you keep punching a stone wall?"

"Just leave me alone." Reid raised his hands to push Caleb away, but Caleb grabbed them again. He looked at Reid's hands, the knuckles ripped up and bleeding. "Why…?"

"I told you; just _leave me alone_." Reid pulled his hands out of Caleb's grasp and pushed him out of the way. He stormed off, trying to get as far away from everyone else as he could. It was hard enough dealing with it without everyone else looking at him. He hated their stares, their concern, their pity. He didn't want it, and he certainly didn't need it. He needed to get through this on his own, not with the 'help' of their carefully chosen words and awkward silences and empty words of encouragement.

**Yeah, I know; I didn't give you any idea of whether Reid is going to be okay at the end or not. Sorry; I just figured that this was a good place to stop and it's been a few days since I've posted, so I figured I'd better so you know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth or anything…lol. Next chapter will be up as soon as possible. Promise.**


	11. Dilemma

**Sorry it's been so long…with a combination of papers and homework due for classes and the silence of the muse for this particular story, I haven't been able to add anything productive to this fic for a while. But the muse came back, if only to help me write this chapter, so here it is. More is forthcoming, don't worry. I have plans for our poor little Reid. Evil laugh here. I've got a big paper for English due next week, though, so it might be a while. I'll post it as soon as I can, I promise.**

**All the usual things apply; the Covenant and characters are not mine, etc.**

When Tyler found him, Reid was in the woods, sitting on the ground, his back against a tree and his eyes closed. "What, Caleb gave up so he sent you?"

"No; I came on my own. What, is that so hard to believe?"

Reid snorted. "I may not be able to use, but I don't need to be able to read minds to know when you're lying, Tyler."

Tyler sighed. "He's worried about you, Reid. We all are. When you go storming out of the room when we didn't even do anything, we get curious."

"Well, you can just stop. I'm fine."

"Now who's lying."

"Wha- I am not!" Reid was incredulous.

"What are you, twelve?" Tyler smirked. He knew something was up; it was just a matter of getting Reid to tell him. It was impossible to room with someone without knowing how they worked, how to get them to tell you something without them even realizing it. Tyler was good at this; it was one of the skills he had been able to develop by being the quiet one. This was why he had been the one to check on Reid. He was the one out of the four that Reid was closest with, and therefore the one he was most likely to confide in. Not that Reid did much confiding, but if he were to, say, let something slip, Tyler would be the first to know.

Reid glared at him. "You all want me to get through this? Then leave me the fuck alone."

"Why do you always have to do this?"

"Do what."

"Push us all away whenever you're going through something. You can't do this on your own."

"Oh yeah? Watch me." He got up and walked away. Was there nowhere he could be totally by himself? He could feel a headache coming on. Great. Just what he needed.

Something wasn't right. Suddenly his vision began to blur, and he stumbled. Tyler ran over to try to steady him, but Reid brushed him off. "Leave me alone," he muttered. "I'm fine, just…" He stumbled again, only this time instead of catching his balance he overshot, and fell to his knees. He couldn't seem to get enough air; what the hell was wrong now?

The voice came back. 'See? I told you; you'll never make it. You're just like your father.'

"No, not true. Liar," Reid muttered. He shook his head, which only made the headache worse.

"Reid? What's going on? Reid!" Reid didn't respond; he was too busy trying to get the voice to stop talking and the world to stop spinning. Tyler crouched down next to him, trying to figure out what was wrong, but Reid pushed him away as his gorge rose and he began puking. He hadn't eaten much over the past few hours, so it was more stomach acid than anything else, but it was enough to thoroughly gross Tyler out. After a few minutes, Reid stopped and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He closed his eyes, moving to a more comfortable position. "Why me?" He asked weakly.

"I don't know," Tyler answered. "Are you feeling better?" He looked over at his friend. He was deathly pale, and breathing raggedly. Every few minutes he would go into a coughing fit, which would last a few minutes until he could get it under control.

Reid looked at him and snorted. "Not really."

Tyler bent down, trying to pull him to a standing position. "Come on."

"What are you doing?"

"Taking you back to the house; if you're going through withdrawal again, you're not going to go through it alone in the middle of the woods, where it's cold and wet."

Reid sighed and reluctantly gave in. Tyler hooked his arm around Reid and the two of them slowly walked back to the house.

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Reid was thoroughly miserable. They had put him back in his bed, and refused to let him leave. He was cold, so cold, despite the blankets they had piled on. "I'm fine," he mumbled weakly.

"No, you're not; drop the act."

He sighed, burrowing deeper into the covers. He was freezing, but his face was covered in beads of sweat, betraying the internal battle he was having with the Power.

"How is he?" asked Caleb, who had just entered the room.

"It's hard to say; he comes and goes. When he's here, he tries to tell me he's okay, but…" Tyler frowned, looking over at Reid, who had lapsed back into a fevered dream.

"Stop it…not true…leave me alone…" They looked over to see Reid muttering to himself. Caleb gave Tyler a questioning look, and Tyler shrugged. "I tried to ask him about it when he was lucid, but he just kept brushing me off."

Caleb sighed. "And there's nothing we can do to help, because any Magyk we use on him will undermine the whole thing. Damn it."

"Therein lies the dilemma," Tyler said sadly.

**Cue the suspenseful music! Reviews are _always_ welcome. Next chapter will be up as soon as I can post it, so have no fear.**


	12. The Barrier

**I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry…I know, it's been like forever since I've updated…I am going to finish this, I swear. It's just what with projects due and papers to write and finals coming up, and no inspiration, it kind of sat on my computer, unfinished. But the muse is back, and I promise to not update anything else until this one is finished. Even though I tend to be ADD about writing fanfics…as you all have probably noticed. Anyway, thanks for staying with me…I know you probably want to smack me for not updating sooner. And now, back to your regularly scheduled program:**

Reid lay on the bed, paler than normal. He was breathing fairly regularly, which Caleb told them all was a good sign, not that he actually knew for sure, but he figured it was his turn to be the hopeful one. They all were looking at each other, not one of them knowing what to do. Pogue finally got up. "I have to get out of here, sorry guys. I'll be back in a few hours, I just…"

Caleb nodded. "Go. Whatever you need to do, go ahead. Come back when you're ready. We'll be here." He looked at Tyler. "You too. You've been here longer than the rest of us. I'm sure you need to get some air."

Tyler looked at him, indecision crossing his face. He didn't want to leave the room; he knew Reid wasn't going anywhere, but it just felt…wrong.

Caleb seemed to read his thoughts. "_Go_. We'll be here when you get back, and if anything changes, I'll let you know." He waved his hands at the two of them, ushering them out of the room. He could feel how tense the two of them were getting, and he knew they needed some way to release it, and watching an unconscious Reid wasn't the way to do that. They both gave him thankful looks, and left the room. Caleb sighed. It was going to be a long couple of hours.

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Reid woke up, but when he opened his eyes, the room was too bright, so he closed them again. He took a deep breath, stretching his arms, and rolled back over. It was waay too early for this. Apparently his actions went unnoticed, because no one poked him or teased him to get him up. It was a good sign.

He tried to get back to sleep, but he felt restless. He turned over to the other side, but no luck there either. He yawned, and the yawn turned into a cough. He sat up, and the coughing continued, eventually bringing up a mucous. He grimaced, and spat a black substance that was somewhere between a liquid and a gel into his hand. "Ugh, gross," he muttered, catching Caleb's attention.

"What?" he asked, and Reid showed him. "What the hell is it?" he asked.

Caleb shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine." Against his better judgment, Caleb dismissed it as part of the withdrawal process, and lay back in the chair he was in, trying to get some sleep.

A half hour later he was woken up by choking sounds coming from the bed next to him. He looked over to see Reid, who had fallen asleep again, struggling to breathe. Caleb got up and walked over to the bed, and began to shake Reid, trying to get him to wake up. He did, opening his eyes slightly, and he rolled over onto his side when Caleb pushed him. He began to gag and heave, trying to get out whatever it was that was blocking his windpipe. Caleb hit him on the back a few times, trying to break up whatever it was, and finally something gave and a familiar looking black substance oozed from between Reid's lips, dripping onto the sheets and the floor below. Reid coughed again, dislodging more black goo, and gasped for breath when his throat was partly clear. A few more coughs and he could breathe normally. He closed his eyes and wiped his mouth, spitting a few times to get the taste out of him mouth. He opened his eyes again and looked up at Caleb.

Caleb had to fight to keep himself from reacting. Reid's eyes were pitch black, which he would have thought impossible, since he was cut off from the Power. When he concentrated, he could swear he could feel a thrumming coming from Reid, like he was Using. But that couldn't be, right? "Better?" he asked, keeping all confusion out of his voice.

Reid nodded. "I think so." He looked down at the ruined sheets with a smirk. "Great. Something else I'm going to have to explain to my mom. What just happened?"

"I'm trying to figure that out myself. You sure you're alright?"

Reid raised an eyebrow. "Yeah…why?"

"Nothing feels…off? Or different from when you fell asleep?"

"Caleb, what the hell are you trying to get at? I feel fine; if you have something to say, just say it."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you're Using."

"No I'm not." He couldn't be; he couldn't get to the Power; if he couldn't so much as touch it, how the hell did Caleb seriously expect him to be able to use it?

"Yes, Reid; you are."

"Okay, let me explain this to you," Reid started, as if he were talking to a five-year old. "You guys all blocked my Power, remember? I can't get to it, so I can't Use. It's that simple."

"I thought so too, but you are definitely Using right now."

"No! I'm not! Whatever you're thinking, it's NOT ME. I don't know what your problem is with assuming it's me all the time, but this is one time where I can't possibly be blamed for it, so lay off!"

"Reid, I'm serious. Your eyes are black, and I can _feel_ it. You're Using. I don't know how, I don't know why, but you are."

Reid got up as if to leave the room, and swayed on his feet. Caleb grabbed his shoulder to keep him upright, but Reid brushed him off and slumped in a chair. He put his head in his hands. "Shit. _Now_ what?"

"Let's wait until Pogue and Tyler get back. Maybe they'll have some ideas."

Reid nodded. He tried to shut the Power off, but it was like he had said; he couldn't touch it. It was weird; he could feel it, but every time he tried to turn it off, it evaded him. It was like he was trying to turn off a hose with a TV remote; both worked individually, but not on each other.

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An hour later, Pogue and Tyler came back to see Caleb and Reid in almost the same positions they had been in when they left, only this time it was Reid in the chair and Caleb on the bed. Caleb sat up when they entered the room, and Reid turned his head and raised his chin in greeting.

"Hey, he's up," Tyler said, the words out of his mouth before he could process them.

"No, you're delusional. I'm a figment of your imagination," Reid said, smirking, and flicked Tyler in the head. "And what did I say about talking about me like I'm not here."

Tyler grinned sheepishly, and sat down on his bed.

Pogue steered the conversation in a more constructive direction before Reid could get started. "So, what's the deal? You okay now, or what?"

Reid snorted. "I wish. _Someone_ thinks I'm Using subconsciously." He glared at Caleb.

"Don't take this out on me; despite how much you want to deny it, you're Using. And if you're not doing it intentionally…"

"Yeah, yeah. Spare me the speech, alright?"

Caleb shook his head. "So, we need to check out the barrier we set up, to make sure it's working right."

"And if it isn't?" Pogue asked, receiving an angry glare from Reid. Pogue put his hands up. "Hey, I just want to cover all the bases."

"We'll figure out what to do when the time comes."

A few minutes later, Pogue, Caleb, and Tyler had formed a circle around Reid for the second time that day, and had their eyes closed in concentration.

_They checked their handiwork, and were surprised to find the barrier still in place and doing its job; the Power wasn't getting past it, no matter how much it battered at it. But something was different; every time the Power hit the barrier, it would shudder, and the barrier would glow a bright blue for a few seconds, then grow dark again. It was a flurry of activity behind the barrier, the Power swirling and pulsating, trying to find a hole, no matter how small. Every so often a dark substance would ooze down the walls of the barrier, which any of the boys would have thought impossible if they weren't seeing it themselves. _That looks an awful lot like the stuff Reid was coughing up earlier,_ Caleb thought. _It must be related; it can't be coincidence_. After taking one last sweep of the barrier and the Power it contained, they left, so they could discuss what they had seen._

After they were all back in themselves, each son blinked, and the group looked like they were just a group of kids hanging out, all shreds of oddity gone. "So, what the hell was that?" Tyler asked, the first to speak.

"Don't know; I think we're going to have to do some research to find out what's going on," Caleb said, more to himself than to the group. He was running through all the possibilities in his head, and was coming up blank.

"Mind letting me in on what's going on, seeing as how it's me you're talking about?"

"Yeah," Caleb said absently. "Go ahead, Pogue, tell him what we saw."

Pogue gave Caleb a look as if to say "why me?", then sighed and related to Reid all that they had seen.

"Uh-huh…" he replied when Pogue had finished, not knowing what to make of it. "And that means…?"

"We're just as in the dark here as you are," Caleb snapped.

"Geez, Danvers. No need to get your panties in a bunch. I was just asking."

"At least now we know why it looks and feels like Reid's Using," said Tyler, trying to diffuse the situation before Reid said or did something stupid. "With so much activity going on behind the barrier, he might as well be."

**I'll stop here, just so you guys have something to tide you over until I finish…the next chapter should be the last one, unless it ends up being really long, in which case I'll break it up (obviously). I'll get the next chapter up as soon as possible. Thanks for bearing with me; I know it's been waay too long since I've updated this one. Let me know what you think, etc…you know, the usual.**


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